NEW YORK - Dr.
M. Dianne Murphy, Director of Intercollegiate Athletics and Physical Education
at Columbia University, announced today that head women's basketball coach Paul
Nixon will not return for the 2013-14 season.

"Coach Nixon has dedicated himself tremendously to Columbia
University and our women's basketball team. We are appreciative of the effort and hard work that Paul
has contributed to the women's basketball program over the past eight years,"
said Dr. Murphy. "His engaging personality, and his ability to be a great team
player within our athletics program, was invaluable to Columbia. We thank him
and wish him the very best in the future."

Added Murphy, "Making a decision of this nature is always
difficult, but we believe it is necessary and appropriate to make a leadership
change at this time in order to achieve the goals that we have set for the
Columbia women's basketball program."

Nixon took over a team that had completed a very tumultuous
season just before his arrival, and eventually led the women's basketball
program to its best competitive single-season records in NCAA Division I and
Ivy League competition. He leaves Columbia with the most NCAA Division I
victories as a head coach (70) in school history.

Nixon also recruited and/or developed some of the best
players in our program's history, including Megan Griffith, Judie Lomax,
Danielle Browne, Sara Yee, Kathleen Barry and Lauren Dwyer.

Columbia will begin a national search for a new head women's
basketball coach immediately.